Drum series printing wheels and setting means therefor

ABSTRACT

THE PRINTING CYLINDER COMPRISES A NUMBER OF CO-AXIAL SUCCESSIVE DISCS PROVIDED WITH PERIPHERAL TEETH, EACH CARRYING A TYPE. THE SETTING OF THE DISCS IS EFFECTED BY MEANS OF A SINGLE TOOTHED WHEEL SLIDABLY AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON A SHAFT PARALLEL TO THE COMMON AXIS OF THE DISCS SO AS TO BE BROUGHT INTO MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH ANY OF THEM. THE PRINTING CYLINDER ALSO COMPRISES DRUMS BEARING REMOVABLE PRINTING BLOCKS RETAINED IN DEPRESSIONS OF THE DRUMS BY A STATIONARY OUTER CASING HAVING AN APERTURE ALONG THE PRINTING LINE OF THE CYLINDER. THE CYLINDER IS CARRIED BY A FRAME MOVABLE ON THE BASE OF THE PRESSING MEANS OF THE APPARATUS BETWEEN A PRINTING POSITION UNDER THE SAID PRESSING MEANS, AND A FULLY EXPOSED COMPOSING POSITION.

MIN! 23, 1971 GREMER I 3,572,239

DRUM SERIES PRINTING WHEELS AND SETTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed 1:50. 12. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 23, 1971 R. GRENIER 3,572,239

I DRUM SERIES PRINTING WHEELS AND SETTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 12, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTOR.

Mmh 23, 1971 R. GREINIEIR 3,572,239

DRUM SERIES PRINTING WHEELS AND SETTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 12, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. La

United States Patent ()lfice US. Cl. 101-99 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The printing cylinder comprises a number of co-axial successive discs provided with peripheral teeth, each carrying a type. The setting of the discs is elfected by means of a single toothed wheel slidably and rotatably mounted on a shaft parallel to the common axis of the discs so as to be brought into meshing engagement with any of them. The printing cylinder also comprises drums bearing removable printing blocks retained in depressions of the drums by a stationary outer casing having an aperture along the printing line of the cylinder. The cylinder is carried by a frame movable on the base of the pressing means of the apparatus between a printing position under the said pressing means, and a fully exposed composing position.

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus of the kind used for printing references or like marks on flat articles such as labels, tickets, packings or documents.

These apparatus generally comprise a type-carrying cylinder and pressing means for applying the article to be printed against the cylinder, or more accurately, against a longitudinal line or generatrix of the periphery of the said cylinder. The cylinder is generally formed of a number of co-axial elements and by individually rotating these elements it is possible to bring to the printing position on the cylinder any one of the types carried by the elements.

It i s an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus of the kind in question wherein this angular adjustment of the elements is particularly simple and easy.

In accordance with the present invention the elements of the type-carrying cylinder are in the form of discs having flat peripheral teeth each carrying a printing type, while there is provided a disc-driving wheel axially displaceable along an axis parallel to the axis of the cylinder and having peripheral teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of any one of the said discs so as to bring any desired type of this disc to the printing position on the cylinder.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general diagrammatical view of an apparatus according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the movable printing device of this apparatus, the said device being at the printing or effective position on the base of the said apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the printing device at its ineffective or composing position.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical view illustrating the operation of the pressing means of the apparatus on a flat article such as a sheet, a ticket, a label, etc.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIG. 4, but illustrating the operative steps of the pressing means of the apparatus on the cover of a cardboard box.

FIG. 7 is a general plan view of the printing device.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are sectional views corresponding to lines VIII'VIII and IXIX of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a fragmental horizontal section taken along line XX of FIG. 9.

3,572,239 Patented Mar. 23, 1971 The apparatus generally illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a base 1 provided with two tubular columns 2 each forming a guide for a spring-loaded rod 3. These rods 3 support a cross beam 4 to the ends of which are secured laterally depending arms 5 having their lower ends pivotally connected with eccentrics or connecting rods 6 which impart to the said arms and to the beam 4 a vertically reciprocating motion. Beam 4 cooperates with a table 7 slidably mounted on rods 3, springs 8a and 8b being disposed between this table and, respectively, beam 4 and columns 2. An inking ribbon 9 is transversely movable between the lower side of table 7 and a type-carrying cylinder A. The document or like flat article to be printed is disposed between this table 7 and a pressure member 10 removably secured to the beam 4.

The pressure member 10 (FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6) is in the form of a plate having a wedge-shaped cross-section and whose horizontal underside, parallel to the table 7, is provided with a fiat downwardly protruding portion 10a adapted to engage the article B to be printed. As illustrated in FIG. 4, this plate 10 permits of printing fiat articles such as sheets, tickets, labels, etc., the downward motion of the beam 4 together with the pressure plate 10 first causing application of the said article onto table 7, and then lowering the latter. Owing to the provision of an aperture 7a in the said table, the article B is thus pressed against the inking ribbon 9 which is itself applied against the uppermost types of the type-carrying cylinder A. Moreover, and as more clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the acute edge of plate 10 may be engaged between the lateral wall 0 of a cardboard box C and the facing wall 0' of the cover C thereof. It will be noted that plate 10 may be formed of a single member co-extensive with cylinder A, or of a series of separate elements, each corresponding to a character to be printed.

The table 7, the pressure plate 10, the cross-beam 4 together with rods 3 and columns 2, form the pressing means of the apparatus.

The base 1 of the apparatus further supports a movable printing device comprising a frame formed of two lateral cheeks 11 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 7) connected with each other by stays 12. The lower edge of each cheek 11 is slidably engaged in a groove 1a provided in the upper side of the base 1, and one of these cheeks carries a vertically movable bolt 13 urged downwardly by a spring 14 (FIG. 3) but which may be raised against the action of the said spring by a lever 15 pivoted to the cheek at 11a and connected with the bolt itself by a conventional pin-and-slot connection. The bottom of the corresponding groove 1a of base 1 has two depressions 1b adapted to receive bolt 13 at each end of the stroke of the printing device on base 1, as explained below.

The lateral cheeks 11 carry a massive tubular shaft 16 (FIG. 8) on which are rotatably mounted discs 17. The periphery of each disc 17 is formed with a number of rectangular teeth or projections 17a the outer side of which carries a printing type (letter, figure, sign). Each disc 17 is retained in angular position by means of a ball 18 radially movable in a perforation 16a of shaft 16 and urged outwardly by a spring 19 disposed in the said perforation so as yieldingly to engage ball 18 into one of a number of notches 17b provided in the inner edge of the disc 17 under consideration. It will be understood that each notch 17b corresponds to a tooth 17a in such manner that the disc 17 may be so retained angularly that any tooth 17a may be brought to the uppermost printing position. As shown in FIG. 10 perforations 16a are helically disposed on shaft 16 in order not to create a weak line on the latter in spite of the close disposition of discs 17 on the said shaft.

The type-carrying discs 17 are rotated by means of a wheel (FIGS. 7 and 8) provided with pointed teeth 20a which mesh with the teeth 17a of the discs or, more exactly speaking, which engage the depressions between the successive teeth 17a. This wheel 20 has a hub 21 solid with an elongated tubular extension 22 (FIG. 7). Hub 21 and extension 22 are slidably mounted on a fixed shaft 23 having one of its ends secured to one of cheeks 11, the other cheek being provided with a perforation of a diameter somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the said extension 22. The periphery of the latter is formed with a series of equidistant circular grooves 23a which cooperate with a ball-and-spring device 24 (see FIG. 8) provided in a radial perforation of hub 21 in order to retain wheel 20 at a number of successive positions for each of which the said wheel meshes with one of discs 17.

The tubular extension 22 of the hub 21 of wheel 20 is also formed with a series of equidistant outer circular grooves 22a so as to act as a cylindrical rack in cooperation with a pinion 26 (FIG. 9) carried by a transverse actuating shaft 27 rotatably supported by a lateral bearing 28 secured to the outer side of the cheek 11 through which extension 23 is freely slidable. This shaft 27 has an actuating knob 27a by means of which wheel 20 may thus be axially displaced on shaft 23 so as to be brought into meshing engagement with any disc 17, while another knob secured to the Outer end of extension 22 permits of rotating the disc in order to bring the desired type to the uppermost printing position in front of the aperture 7a of table 7.

In order to facilitate the setting of the discs 17, the apparatus is preferably equipped with a blade-like mirror 128 extending along the whole length of the successive discs 17 and carried by a lateral arm 29 in one with an annular member 29a. The latter is rotatably supported by an outer circular boss 11b carried by one of cheeks 11 substantially co-axially to the shaft 16 on which the discs 17 are mounted. A spring 30 (FIGS. 2 and 3) attached to member 29a and to the cheek maintains arm 29 against an abutment 11c carried by check 11, mirror 128 then being at such a position that it permits direct reading of the uppermost line of characters or types on discs 17, as clearly shown in FIG. 8. When the operator pushes the printing device in order to bring the same to its printing position under the apertured table 7 (position of FIG. 2) a fixed member 10 carried by base 1 acts on a lateral pin 29b secured to arm 29 so as to displace the latter clockwise in FIG. 2, whereby mirror 128 is brought to such a position that it cannot interfere with table 7 or with ribbon 9.

The axial bore of the massive tubular shaft 16 receives a shaft 31 extending beyond the cheek 11 which supports the above-mentioned bearing 28. A solid drum 32 having the same diameter as discs 17 is keyed on this etxension of shaft 31. The periphery of this drum is formed with a series of equidistant depressions in which are removably disposed printing blocks 33, each comprising a number of characters. Drum 32 is surrounded by a stationary cylindrical casing 34 which retains blocks 33 in the corresponding depressions. This casing has an upper opening 34a through which the successive blocks 33 may be exposed below ribbon 9 and table 7 (see FIG. 1) in order to cooperate with them. Drum 32 may be rotated by means of a knob 35 (FIG. 10) provided at the end of shaft 31. In order to retain the said drum at any proper angular position there is provided a balland-spring device 36 carried by knob 35 and which cooperates with depressions formed on the facing side of a fiat ring 37 loosely mounted on shaft 31. This ring 37 has a radial arm 37a which is maintained at a fixed angular position by a finger 38 carried by casing 34. The latter is itself secured to the adjacent cheek 11 by means of screws such as 39.

The above-mentioned shaft 31 loosely carries another solid drum 40 having the same diameter as discs 17 and drum 32, and the periphery of this drum 40 is also formed with depressions in which are removably disposed printing blocks 41 also retained in position by casing 34, but exposed through aperture 34a (see FIG. 9). This drum 40 is in one with an actuating knob 40a provided with a ball-and-spring positioning device 42 which co-acts with depressions formed in the facing side of the abovedescribed ring 37.

As clearly shown in FIG. 7 the periphery of knobs 35 and 40a carries indications which reproduce the characters (numbers, words or signs) of the corresponding blocks 33 and 41.

It is understood that discs 17 together with drum 32 and 40 form the type-carrying cylinder A of FIG. 1.

With the apparatus described the operator may easily pull the printing device on base 1 so as to disengage it from ribbon 9 and table 7 and to bring it to the fully exposed composing position (position of FIG. 3). With the aid of mirror 128 he may set discs 17 to the respective positions required for the successive characters to be printed by first rotating knob 27a until wheel 20 meshes with the disc to be rotated and then by rotating knob 25 until the desired character or type appear in the mirror. Owing to the reflective effect the character appears as it will be printed and not as it is to be seen on the periphery of the disc. Additional indications or characters may be printed by drums 32 and 40 which may be set to the proper angular positions through knobs 35 and 40a. Owing to the removable character of the printing blocks 33 and 41, these may be easily changed when desired.

Once the printing device has been properly adjusted (composition of the matter to be printed), the printing device is pushed under beam 4, i.e. to its printing position of FIG. 2, and the flat articles such as B or 0' (FIGS. 4 to 6) may be printed by merely lowering beam 4.

I claim:

1. In a printing apparatus of the kind comprising an angularly adjustable type-carrying cylinder formed of a number of individually rotatable co-axial elements and pressing means to apply a fiat article to be printed against a longitudinal printing line of types of said cylinder, said elements being in the form of a plurality of discs rotatable about a common first axis, each having flat peripheral teeth each to carry a type, and said apparatus further comprising a disc-driving wheel having peripheral teeth capable of meshing with the peripheral teeth of any of said discs, guiding means to permit of displacing said wheel along a second axis parallel to said first axis and situated at such a distance therefrom that said wheel may thus be selectively brought into engagement with any of said discs, and means to rotate said wheel, said typecarrying cylinder further comprising at least one blockcarrying drum co-axial to said discs and having substantially the same diameter as said discs, said drum being formed with a series of peripheral depressions, and printing blocks removably disposed in said depressions; and said apparatus further including a stationary casing disposed around said block-carrying drum to retain said printing blocks in said depressions, said casing having an upper aperture to expose said printing blocks along the longitudinal printing line of said type-carrying cylinder.

2. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 said typecarrying cylinder comprising a first and a second blockcarrying drum with said first drum adjacent to said discs and said second drum adjacent to said first drum; a discsupporting shaft on which said discs are loosely mounted, said disc-supporting shaft having an axial bore; a drumsupporting shaft rotatably mounted in said bore, said first block-carrying drum being keyed on said drum-supporting shaft while said second block-carrying drum is rotatable thereon; a first knob on said drum-supporting shaft to effect rotation of said first block-supporting drum;

and a second knob laterally secured to said second blockcarrying drum and disposed between same and said first knob, said second knob being loose on said drum-supporting shaft to effect rotation of said second block-carrying drum.

3. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 2, a ring loosely mounted on said drum-supporting shaft between said first and second knobs; means to maintain said ring angularly fixed; and resilient positioning means carried by said ring and by each of said first and second knobs to yieldingly retain each of said block-carrying drums at a number of positions for each of which a printing block of said each of said drums is disposed on the longitudinal printing line of said type-carrying cylinder.

4. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 a flat base to support said pressing means; a movable frame to support said type-carrying cylinder, said frame resting on said base and being slidably guided thereon between a printing position at which said cylinder may cooperate with said pressing means to print a flat article, and a composing position at Which said cylinder is fully exposed; and means to maintain said movable frame at said printing position.

5. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 4, an elongated mirror effective to reflect the longitudinal printing line of said type-carrying cylinder when said movable frame is at its composing position; a lateral arm pivoted to said frame to support said mirror; means to resiliently retain 6 said mirror at its effective position with respect to said cylinder; and means to deviate said mirror-supporting arm when said movable frame is brought to its printing position, so as to bring said mirror to an ineffective position at which it does not interfere with proper operation of said pressing means.

6. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said pressing means including a Wedge-shaped protruding pressure plate to apply a flat article to be printed against the longitudinal printing line of said type-carrying cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,188,828 6/1916 Putnam et a1 101110 1,403,321 1/1922 Henry 01-110 1,663,588 3/1928 Glass 101-110 1,713,528 5/1929 Glass 101-110 1,734,123 11/1929 Glass 10l99 1,868,997 7/1932 Speicher 101110 2,125,877 8/1938 Bayerdorffer 1011l0 2,351,281 6/1944 Nachemov l0l110 3,338,160 8/1967 Heil 10199 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 1011l0 

